1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dispensing containers. More particularly, it relates to the type of dispensing container known as a powder gun for dispensing a powder into a desired area, or region.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of different types of dispensing containers have been known in the prior art. There have been dispensing containers for dispensing liquids or semi-liquids, and containers for dispensing salt and other particulate solids. Illustrative of the former are U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,107, a receptacle for an atomizer or the like; U.S. Pat. No. 3,390,821, a collapsible container; U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,163, an article for holding and dispensing flowable materials; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,154, a dispensing container for dispensing a fluid and having a one-way valve. Illustrative of the latter are U.S. Pat. No. 875,531 and 2,756,909 for dispensing salt and 2,808,970 containing a dispensing cap.
In spite of the wide variety of different types of containers known, the closest art of which I am aware is U.S. Pat. No. 2,349,875, my own patent on a powder gun. That powder gun, similarly as the rest of the prior art, suffered from a disadvantage of lacking any way of providing a controllable filter and for breaking up lumps that tended to form in any of the myriad powdered material to be dispensed for any purpose. Typical of the materials employed are powders such as sulfur, arsenic compounds, and the like for treating vegatation such as roses, insecticides such as DDT powder and the like, powder employed for controlling roaches, rodents, ants and other household pests.
In the prior art, the dispensing containers fequently had a plurality of apertures such that they were filled from one end and dispensed from another end. When corks, or other friction type plugs were held at the filling end, there was a tendency of plugging of the discharge spout such that the filling cork would be inadvertently blown from the container when the bellows-like container was compressed for discharging the powder.
Moreover, the prior art was deficient in not providing a spout that could dispense a coarse cloud of powder where desired, or could dispense a finely controlled powder directionally into cracks and the like, as well as providing the filtering and breaking up action.